“Look, Auntie Amy, look!”
My niece had climbed to the top of a platform at the playground, and she stood waving at me excitedly.
“Wow! Good for you!” I came closer until she was within arm’s reach. “Here, jump to me!”
She giggled and leaped from the waist-high platform into my waiting arms. I spun her around as we laughed together. Then I put her down and she immediately ran off to the sprinklers in another area of the park.
A couple of minutes later, I watched her and her friends climbing up the ladder of a little slide. She hesitated. She was a little scared about going down, so I reached out to her again.
“Here, come to me!”
“But, Auntie Amy! What if you drop me?!” She leaned a little closer and said softly, “What if I fall down in front of everyone?!”
I laughed. “But, sweetie, you trusted me to catch you before, you know I won’t drop you!”
She jumped. I caught her.
I chuckled as they all ran away to play. “That was an odd mix of reactions—unafraid and trusting one minute and afraid the next,” I thought.
But then the Lord spoke to my heart, “Aren’t you like that with Me sometimes? How many times have I caught you? How many times have you trusted Me and leaped into the unknown, and I’ve brought you to a safe and better place? And yet, sometimes you still doubt. Sometimes you beg Me to not let you fall. Have I ever?”
Bible verses then came to my mind about the Lord’s continued faithfulness in spite of our mistrust or fear, such as: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful [true to His word and His righteous character], for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13 AMP). “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV). “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV).
My lack of trust has never caused God to be unfaithful. My fears won’t ever weaken His hands. He has asked me to take many steps of faith for Him, and no matter how nervous I felt, when I jumped, He always caught me.
Take the jump! He’ll catch you.